When Deftones announced their Dia de los Deftones festival, Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta noticed that Gojira would be opening for pop act Chvrches. Jasta took to Twitter to make note of this by saying that metal wasn't respected, that Chvrches would "get embarrassed off the stage," and that "bands that play their instruments > track acts." In turn, Chvrches vocalist Lauren Mayberry said she was a fan of both Gojira and Deftones, and just "because someone plays or listens to 'pop music' doesn’t mean they don’t understand or appreciate other things."
In a new interview with NME, Mayberry said Gojira caught wind of the spat and sent Chvrches a care package.
“I thought it was really cool because it just showed that kind of thinking in the metal community isn’t stood for any more. And Gojira actually sent us a merch package so we got a crap tonne of Gojira t-shirts. That was really nice. It reflects the community and informs the community.
I just didn’t understand. I was like, ‘That’s not what Deftones has ever been about’.”
Chrvches instrumentalist Martin Doherty added that he wasn't really sure what the point of the swipe at the band even was.
“Who cares really? I mean, that guy. We’re living in different universes. What’s even the point in taking a swipe like that? I’ve been listening to Deftones since 1998 and they were always an alternative metal band.
I wasn’t a huge metal fan but I was a massive Deftones fan. I think that anyone who’s narrow-minded like that totally misses the point of the band, as far as I can see.”
It looks like Jasta also got a care package from Gojira, as he's since taken to Instagram to post the following.
Fuckin rad! Came home from tour to some killer gifts in the mail!! Thank you so much @gojiraofficial @silvercordstudio @marioduplantier & co! THE HEAVIEST MATTER OF THE UNIVERSE!! FTW!! ?????
I think the lesson here is that we should all fight about Gojira so they'll send us free shirts.
